Shock absorber



H. G. HOOPER SHOCK ABSORBER June 16, 1925. 1,541,957

Filed May '7. 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 16, 1925. 1,541,957

Y H. G. HooPER l SHOCK ABSORBER Filed May 7. 1919` 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented June 16, 1925.

UNITED STATES HARRIS G. HOOPER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SHOCK ABSORBER.

Application filed May 7, 1919. Serial No. 295,444.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Hamas G. IIoornn, a. citizen et the United States,residing in the city and county ol San Francisco, State ot California,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shock Absorbers,whereof the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shock absorbers applicable to machinesdesigned particularly for navigatingl the air and t'or the purpose cithis application I shall confine myself to a-eroplanes. This inventionis intended more especially to take up the shock of landing.

To this end I provide rigid brackets or struts rigidly attached to theframe of the aeroplane. These brackets carry guides, in which the shaftis supported and moves, which shaft carries the carriage wheels of theaeroplane. Above the shaft are springs, preferably in the form of airsprings, comprising cylinders and pistons movingl therein, whereby theshaft is cushioned against the shock of landing.

I provide also a variety of other instrumentalities which will bedescribed further on.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings I have illustrated so much ofa machine as is necessary to an understanding of the invention.

yFigure 1 is a front elevation 4showing'the Wheels, the brackets and aircylinders and contiguous parts.

Figure 2 is a side elevation taken from the line a, a, of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an elevated 'View showing a side elevation of part of abracket, with the guides yand the traveling cross-head therein, andshowing in section the cylinder and' piston.

Figure 4 is a view from the line b, b,

- of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective View of one ot the-,traveling cross-heads.

In the drawings ;*1 represents the body of the aeroplane. Depending fromthis body brackets 2, which with the body 1 and the various tie members3, form a rigid frame beneath the machine.

The brackets, it will be observed, each comprise two slanting legs, 2,2, giving the device a triangular form of great stiliness and lightnessnAt the lower angle of each bracket, is a casting or forging 4, havingextending upward and backward therefrom the guides 5,.at thetop of whichare the cylinders (3. Vithin each cylinder is a piston 7, connected by apitman 8 to a Sliding cross-head 9., which is guided in its movement bythe guides 5. The shaft of the machine, 10, is supported in thelcross-head 9, and has, at its outboard ends, the carriage wheels ot',the aeroplane, 11. The two cylinders 6 may be connected by a pipe 12,having check valves 13, and a branch 14, through which latter thecylinders may be charged with air under pressure. The under side of thepiston 7 is provided with an annular flange 15, which enters an annularcup 1G, formed in the lower-end of the cylinder or the top ot' theguide. The cup 16 is supplied with oil or other fluid from a cup 17.

In operation, when the aeroplane comes to earth, th'e wheels strikingthe ground are relieved from shock as follows: The crossheads 9 arepushed upward by the wheel shaft 10, moving and guided by the guides 5,and that movement is resisted by the air in the cylinders 6, acting as aspring. The air pressure in the cylinders is adjusted as to tension bycompressing more or less air therein. The air pressure in the cylindersis maintained during Hight by the flange 15, the cup 16 and the oilcontained therein forming a seal.

In case one wheel 11 strikes the ground, or landing stage, before theother,`I accommodate the resulting Obliquity of the shaft by a slightplay of the various joints between the pitman and its connections, asseen at 18 and 19, in Figure 3, and between the crosshead and itsguides, as seen at 20 in Figure 4.

' Having thus described my invention, and an embodiment oflt, 1n thefull, clear and exact terms required by law` and'knowing that itcomprises novel, useful and valuable improvements i'n the art to whichit pert-alns, I here state that I do not wish to be limited totheprecise construction and arrangement of the several parts, as hereinvset forth, as the same. -may be variously modifie-d by a skilledmechanic without departing from the spirit of the invention.

IVhat' I claim and desire to secure by Let-v ters Patent of the UnitedStates, is the following, to wit:-

1. In combination with the frame of an Y aeroplane, a hanging bracketbolted at one end to said frame, gmdes secured at one end to the freeend of said bracket, a metalhc cylinder-secured at one end to said frameand at its opposite end to said guides, a slidable cross-head mountedwithin said guides, a piston in said cylinder, a pitman pivotallyengaging at one end said piston and at its other end said cross-head anda wheel shaft yieldingly supported in saidl cross-head.

2. In combination with the frame of an aeroplane, having bracketssecured tosaid frame, a casting secured to the lower angle of saidbracket, guides integrally formed upon said casting and extendingupwardly therefrom, a cylinder mounted upon said guides and secured tosaid frame, a crosshead slidably mounted within said guides, a piston insaid cylinder, a pitman pivotally secured at one end to said piston` andat its opposite end to said cross-head and a wheel shaft yieldinglysupported in said crosshead.

3. In'combination with a frame of an aeroplane, a rod bent to form adepending bracket;y the free ends of said rod being bolted to saidframe, guides integrally secured at one end to said bracket andextending upwardly therefrom, a cylinder secured at one end to saidframe and at'its other `end to said guides, a piston in said cylinder,

an air cylinder mounted on said guides, a

liquid seal consisting of an annular cup provided With liquid,interposed between the meeting edges of said supporting guides and theair cylinder. l

5. An aeroplane having rigid brackets, supporting guides extendingtherefrom provided with an annular threaded ring, and an air cylinderengaging said threaded ring and supported thereby, a liquid cupinterposed betweensaid annular threaded ring and air cylinder adapted toform a seal joint therebetween. v

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing I have hereto set my hand this28th day of April, 1919, in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRIS G. HOOPER.

Witnesses:

W. L. BATES, .y FLORENCE L. WoLrE.

